This invention relates to new and useful improvements in attachments to cultivators, air seeders, press drills, drills and the like.
Conventionally, seed and/or fertilizer are fed down common tubes to be deposited together and unsegregated or side by side (side-banding) within the furrow behind, between or beside the soil opening device or devices. It is understood that the soil opening device forms the necessary furrow or opening.
However, it is difficult to deposit the seed, fertilizer and herbicide at the correct levels or positions and, if the fertilizer or herbicide is too close to the seed, burning and killing may occur during germination of the seed and initial growth stages.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages and in accordance with the invention there is provided a seeder foot assembly attachable to a shank or the like, said seeder foot assembly comprising in combination a furrow opening body portion including a leading front end and a trailing rear side and at least two feeder tubes on the rear side, said tubes each including a substantially horizontal discharge portion one above the other in spaced apart relationship, each horizontal discharge portion including a rearwardly facing discharge end, the discharge end of the lowermost horizontal discharge portion extending rearwardly of the discharge end of the horizontal discharge portion immediately thereabove, said seeder foot assembly including means to initiate substantial closing of the furrow immediately behind said seeder foot assembly.
Another advantage of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which may use two or three feed tubes secured or cast within the seeder foot casting or assembly with the tubes curving rearwardly and, in the case of three such tubes being connected respectively, for example, to fertilizer at the lowermost discharge, to seed grain for the immediate discharge and to a herbicide such as Avadex (registered trade mark) to the uppermost feed tube. Avadex is a granular herbicide for controlling wild oats. The individual levels of the outlets of these tubes may be adjusted so that the materials may be deposited at the correct relationship one to the other.
Within the seeder foot assembly provisions are also incorporated to divide or split the flow of either the seed or fertilizer so that either the seed or fertilizer may be side-banded in two flow streams of material without changing the level of placement. The end results of this modification aids and abets further separation of seed and harmful chemicals to further enhance the germination and plant development. This is accomplished by simply manifolding the single tube to accommodate two delivery openings instead of one single aperture while maintaining the same level of placement in the soil.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which: